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SEND
BackAll pupils are entitled to a quality of provision that will enable them to achieve their potential.
We believe in positive intervention – removing barriers to learning, raising expectations and levels of achievement and working in partnership with other agencies in order to provide a positive educational experience for all our pupils including those with a special educational need and/or disability.
Our school recognises there are particular groups of pupils whose circumstances require additional consideration by those who work with them. All staff working within Academy 360 will strive to make reasonable adjustments to ensure your child can access all aspects of academy life.
To ensure there is an overarching inclusive strategy from Reception to Year 11, we have our Director of Inclusion, Mrs Gray, who works closely with the staff to ensure we all understand the implications for children with additional needs or barriers to their learning.
If you have any questions or queries about Special Educational Needs & Disabilities, please contact the school on 0191 300 6506.
View the Sunderland Local Offer.
SEND: A Guide for Parents and Carers
Who is this guide for?
This guide is for parents and carers of children and young people aged 0-25 years who have special educational needs (SEN) or a disability.
What is it about?
This guide describes how the new system that supports children and young people with SEN or disabilities, and parents, is intended to work.
This guide is written for parents. It covers:
- what ‘SEN’ and ‘disability’ mean
- the principles of the system that supports children and young people with SEN or disabilities
- what the law is and what your rights are
- how the system should work
- what early years settings, schools, colleges and other educational providers must do, or should do, to support you and your child
- what your local authority and other services (such as health and social services) must do, or should do, to support you and your child
- what you can do if you disagree with, or want to challenge, decisions that are made by organisations providing support for your child.
When should I use it?
You may find it helpful to use this guide if you think your child has SEN, or you have been told by someone – such as your child’s teacher – that they think he or she has SEN.
If you know that your child has SEN and you want to know more about how the system works and what to expect, you can use this guide to help you. You might want to use it in meetings with professionals or to prepare for them. At the end of each chapter, the guide includes a page in case you want to write any notes.
The guide is intended to provide some information covering the whole system. It is also divided into different sections so you can easily find the information you need. It aims to give you the key points, but can’t cover everything.
At the end of each section there are signposts to where you can find out more information, and some questions you might want to consider asking professionals and others. Towards the back of the guide, you can find a list of organisations and helplines who can offer you more help.
Useful Websites
AFASIC – Unlocking Speech and Language – www.afasic.org.uk
Ataxia UK (Help and support for people suffering from Friedreich’s and cerebellar ataxia) – www.ataxia.org.uk
Barnardo’s – www.barnardos.org.uk
British Deaf Association – www.bda.org.uk
British Dyslexia Association – www.bdadyslexia.org.uk
Brittle Bone Society – https://www.brittlebone.org/about-us/
Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE) – www.csie.org.uk
Children’s Legal Centre – www.childrenslegalcentre.com
Families with Disabled Children: www.cafamily.org.uk
Cystic Fibrosis Trust – https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/
Diabetes UK – www.diabetes.org.uk
Disability Living Foundation – www.dlf.org.uk
Disability Rights UK – www.disabilityrightsuk.org/
Disability Sport – https://www.activityalliance.org.uk/
Down’s Syndrome Association – www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/
Dyslexia Action – www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk
Dyspraxia Collective - https://www.dyspraxiacollective.co.uk/
Early Years Alliance – www.eyalliance.org.uk/
Epilepsy Action – www.epilepsy.org.uk
Haemophilia Society – www.haemophilia.org.uk
Hand in Hand Parenting – www.handinhandparenting.org/
Headway National Head Injuries Association – www.headway.org.uk
Huntington’s Disease Association – www.hda.org.uk
I CAN (Helping children communicate) – https://www.icancharity.org.uk/
IPSEA (Independent Panel for Special Educational Advice) – www.ipsea.org.uk
KIDS – Giving disabled children a brighter future – www.kids.org.uk
Leukaemia Care – www.leukaemiacare.org.uk
LOOK UK – Supporting Visually Impaired Young People – www.look-uk.org
Irlen Institute (USA) – www.irlen.com
Irlen UK – www.irlenuk.com
National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux – www.citizensadvice.org.uk
National Association of Special Educational Needs – www.nasen.org.uk
National Asthma UK – www.asthma.org.uk
National Autistic Society – www.autism.org.uk
National Children’s Bureau – www.ncb.org.uk
National Deaf Children’s Society – www.ndcs.org.uk
National Eczema Society – www.eczema.org
National Federation of the Blind – www.nfbuk.org
National Society for Epilepsy – www.epilepsysociety.org.uk
Royal National Institute of the Blind – www.rnib.org.uk
Royal Society for Blind Children – www.rsbc.org.uk/
SCOPE – Equality for disabled people – www.scope.org.uk
SENSE Sign School – For people with complex disabilities – www.sense.org.uk
Sickle Cell Society – www.sicklecellsociety.org
Spinal Injuries Association – www.spinal.co.uk
The Stroke Association – https://www.stroke.org.uk/about-us
Young Minds – www.youngminds.org.uk
The Additionally Resourced Provision (The Hub)
The Hub is an additionally resourced provision within Academy 360 which provides support for students who have significant difficulties with Cognition and Learning. There are 35 Hub places, commissioned by Together for Children on behalf of Sunderland Local Authority.
Our Core Purpose:
To provide young people from primary to year 11 who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), who have not made expected progress through their previous school years due to a learning difficulty / Cognition and Learning and need to be supported in small classes with access to mainstream classes.
How places are allocated:
· The placing authority is Together for Children on behalf of Sunderland City Council. The young person will have significant and persistent difficulties with literacy and numeracy despite regular attendance.
· The child will have an Education, Health and Care Plan with Cognition and Learning as a primary need.
· All applications for a place must be made through the statutory assessment process.
· The application will be considered by Together for Children at the resourced panel meeting following statutory assessment. The Panel will be chaired by the SEN Strategic Team Manager.
· The Panel will consider available places, whether the entry criteria for the provision are met, needs of other pupils attending the ARP and advise on the placement. It is expected that places will be balanced across the different year groups.
Transition:
· All students with a Hub place will receive an extended KS2-KS3 transition programme led by the SEND team. Students will be invited to weekly transition activities tailored to their individual needs.
· Students in Year 10 and 11 will work closely with their own named careers adviser and undertake bespoke trips to post-16 establishments to ensure a smooth transition which meets their individual needs.
What we offer:
Due to our students' Cognition & Learning needs they access a curriculum which is both academic and therapeutic.
Curriculum Implementation
Mainstream Access: Pupils in the ARP are included in mainstream lessons for core subjects, where teaching staff adapt content, pace, and assessment methods to ensure accessibility. Additional resources such as visual aids, simplified texts, and hands-on activities support understanding.
Teaching Assistants: Specialist Teaching Assistants are assigned to support pupils in mainstream settings, providing in-class support, reinforcement, and bespoke interventions tailored to individual EHCP targets.
ARP Sessions: Delivered in small groups with a high staff-to-pupil ratio, ARP lessons emphasise personalised learning objectives, functional application of skills, and sensory regulation strategies where necessary.
Collaborative Planning: ARP staff work closely with mainstream subject teachers, SENCo, and external professionals to continuously adapt the curriculum and intervention plans based on pupil progress and evolving needs.
Assessment: Regular formative assessments and termly reviews linked to EHCP outcomes ensure that learning remains targeted and pupil-centred.
Enrichment and Personal Development
Forest School: A core part of the ARP curriculum, Forest School sessions support pupils’ emotional well-being, social skills, and physical development through outdoor experiential learning, fostering confidence and resilience.
Reading and Literacy Support: Targeted reading sessions address individual literacy needs, using multi-sensory and evidence-based strategies to improve fluency and comprehension.
Life Skills and Independence: Practical lessons embedded in ARP focus on daily living skills, including food preparation, digital literacy, communication, and problem-solving.
Therapeutic Interventions: Pupils benefit from access to Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSA), Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), and Occupational Therapy (OT), which are integrated into the timetable or delivered in targeted small group/1:1 sessions.
Social and Emotional Learning: Structured opportunities for developing self-regulation, emotional awareness, and peer interaction skills underpin the holistic approach of the ARP.
Impact
Preparation for KS4 and Beyond: The curriculum is designed to build transferable skills and independence to support pupils as they progress into Key Stage 4. Where appropriate, pupils work towards nationally recognised qualifications such as Functional Skills, Entry Level Certificates or GCSEs, if appropriate.
Transition Planning: Starting in Year 10, pupils receive dedicated support to prepare for post-16 pathways, including supported work experience, college visits, and personalised transition plans in partnership with families and external agencies.
Personalised Pathways: The ARP aims to provide meaningful and realistic progression routes tailored to each pupil’s strengths and aspirations, supporting successful transitions to further education, employment, or training.
Ongoing Review: Annual EHCP reviews and termly progress meetings ensure that individual targets are met and adjusted as necessary, maintaining a focus on lifelong learning and independence.
